Discriminating Family Forest Owner Groups Using a Non-parametric Approach

This study investigated the classification of multiple-objective, timber and non-timber motivated family forest landowner groups in the three southeastern states of Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. Using non-parametric discriminatory analysis procedures we found that the bio-physical, socio-economic and demographic variables that best discriminated the three landowner groups. Analysis results indicate that 84% of landowners across all landowner groups were correctly classified. With all the variables used to develop the classification scheme in this study known, a-priori, that is before the landowners on a Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plot location is contacted for the National Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS), the study suggests the possibility of predicting what attitudinal type of landowner is likely to own forestland at a particular location with known woodlot (FIA) and demographic (Census) attributes. Results suggest that forestlands which are closer to population centers, with high population densities and counties that have higher median household income are likely to be more appealing to the non-timber motivated owners relative to the timber or multiple-objective motivated owners. Pine stands which have higher commercial values than oak-pine or hardwoods and better land quality parcels are likely to be owned by timber owners relative to non-timber owners or multipleobjective owners.